The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has said that "fake news" is causing a drop in vaccination rates. 

The new president of the IMO, Dr Ann Hogan says the fall in HPV immunisation among young girls is partly due to social media campaigns that make false claims about risks from vaccinations.

Addressing the IMO's AGM in Galway, she said this was putting young women at risk of cervical cancer and other illnesses.

"If you want to give medical advice on vaccinations, become a doctor" Minister Harris #IMOAGM17

— Irish Medical Org (@IMO_IRL) April 22, 2017

Dr Hogan also called for urgent and substantial increase in resources to tackle mounting problems across the health services. 

Ms Hogan likened the condition of the health services currently to a patient with chronic illness.

She said "The health services isn’t suffering from a temporary illness…it is suffering from a long term, persistent and severely debilitating illness caused by under-resourcing over decades and like any patient with chronic illness, the outlook is very difficult."

Increased investment 

Dr Hogan said that the conference had highlighted the role that repeated under-funding over decades played in today’s health crises."

She continued by saying "Our problems today are an inevitable consequence of severe under-funding of health services through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.  

"UCC economist, Dr. Brian Turner made it very clear in his contribution yesterday that we are still dealing with the consequences of those decades old decisions on resources and we will be forced to live with them for many years to come."

 

"Increased investment comes after almost a lost decade on terms of investment" #IMOAGM17

— Irish Medical Org (@IMO_IRL) April 22, 2017